After year of no homicides, county records 8 in 2012

By Rebecca Clark

Published: Sunday, December 30, 2012 at 09:24 PM.

Nathan Cloninger

Cloninger, 41, was shot and killed outside a mobile home on Sam Lattimore Road by his stepson, according to police.

Law enforcement officers said Matthew Safrit, 21, of Cramerton, had gone to visit his girlfriend on Sam Lattimore Road when Cloninger and his wife, Jennifer Cloninger, came to pick up a vehicle that belonged to Safrit's grandmother.

An argument broke out between the three and Safrit grabbed a gun, fatally shot his stepfather and stabbed his mother, according to the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office.

Safrit has been charged with first-degree murder, among other charges.

"...One thing we've seen an increase in is assaults," Ledford said. "A lot of it came from back in the early part of spring."

He said officers are studying why homicide numbers were higher this year, what contributed to the increase - whether drugs, alcohol or large gatherings - and ways to reduce them.

"When we see a trend rising, we try to drill down and say, 'OK what's some of the contributing factors, what's some of the things we can do to prevent it,' " Ledford said. "How do we go beyond the face of the crime and get down to the root cause."

He said crime typically rises in the warmer months and tapers off toward the end of the year.

"We can't let crime be about numbers, it's got to be about people," Ledford said. "Whether one victim or 10, we've got to continue to work for the victim."

Here's a look at each 2012 homicide victim and case:

Kings Mountain

Joseph Danny Moses

Moses was found dead of two gunshot wounds to the head in his Walnut Street home on March 3.

The case was closed when the suspected killer died of natural causes. Investigators and District Attorney Rick Shaffer said they were close to bringing murder charges against the man.

Cleveland County

Francis Kwasi Munufi

Francis Kwasi Munufi, 38, was shot and killed outside a vacant home at 204 Putnam Place in Kings Mountain on March 13.

Munufi had lived in Charlotte but was originally from Ghana.

Devonte Shawmar Lyons, 19, and Jessica Nicole Edwards, 18, were arrested shortly after the shooting and charged with first-degree murder, attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon, and conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon.

The Cleveland County Sheriff's Office arrested three more people in connection to the case on March 27.

Rashad Markee Schenck, 21, Sheldon Gerard Thompson, 25, and Aryka Roberts, 18, were all charged with first-degree murder, attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon and conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon.

Nathan Cloninger

Cloninger, 41, was shot and killed outside a mobile home on Sam Lattimore Road by his stepson, according to police.

Law enforcement officers said Matthew Safrit, 21, of Cramerton, had gone to visit his girlfriend on Sam Lattimore Road when Cloninger and his wife, Jennifer Cloninger, came to pick up a vehicle that belonged to Safrit's grandmother.

An argument broke out between the three and Safrit grabbed a gun, fatally shot his stepfather and stabbed his mother, according to the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office.

Safrit has been charged with first-degree murder, among other charges.

Dennis and Dawn Moss

Dennis Moss shot and killed his wife, Dawn, on July 14 on Main Street in Grover and then turned the gun on himself, according to the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office.

The 60-year-old man shot his wife in front of the deputy, led the deputy on a short car chase, and then shot himself near his Grover home.

The couple left behind two children.

Shelby

John Albert Cummings

Cummings, 54, was fatally shot on Sept. 20 outside a home on McGowen Road .

Ronnie Len Pearson, 54, of 200 Rockhill Lane in Mooresboro, was also shot in the abdomen and was treated for non-life-threatening injuries, according to Shelby Police.

Police said an investigation helped determine there was an altercation in Cummings' front yard between Pearson and 49-year-old Sherman Timothy Lee.

During the argument, Lee pulled out a handgun and fired at both Cummings and Pearson, according to police.

Both Lee and an accomplice, 49-year-old David Lee Williams, were charged with first-degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon.

Kelton Jerrard Ross

Ross, 36, was shot and killed inside a home on Morrison Street in Shelby on Jan. 20. It was the year's first homicide.

With witnesses’ help, Shelby police said they were able to identify Terrence Montreal Norris, 25, as the gunman.

Norris turned himself in to police three days later and was charged with murder.

Devosia Chapman

Chapman, 22, had left a party held at the AMVETS Post 32 building near Walmart on May 5 when someone in another vehicle pulled up beside the one he was in and opened fire.

Chapman was struck and killed, according to Shelby Police.

Aaron Jamal Smith and Carlos Sintel Surratt were both arrested and charged with murder.

George Hope

The 60-year-old man was killed in a fiery wreck on U.S. 74 on April 30, and a woman was charged with his death.

Bridget Henson, 38, of Ellenboro, was charged with misdemeanor death by motor vehicle, according to Shelby Police.

Police said Henson was driving a vending machine truck on West Dixon Boulevard when she crashed into a line of cars stopped for a school bus picking up children.

The impact of the crash set four vehicles ablaze, killing Hope and injuring two others.